India failed to counter the wily Kerr sisters – Amelia and Jess – as they were bowled out for a slightly under-par 227 against New Zealand in the first women’s ODI here on Thursday.

Leg-spinner Amelia (4/42) and medium pacer Jess (3/49) were at the forefront of the Kiwis’ charge with the ball, and they received able support from off-spinner Eden Carson (2/42).

The bane of the Indian innings was the batters’ inability to convert the starts they got.

Deepti Sharma (41), debutant Tejal Hasabnis (42), Shafali Verma (33), Yastika Bhatia (37) and Jemimah Rodrigues (35) started off the block in fine fashion but were unable to build on.

Hasabnis, in particular, will feel terrible as she was batting so well before getting out to Amelia.

The right-hander danced down the track to the leg-spinner seeing the flight, but she failed to connect with the ball while attempting an almighty heave.

Stumper Isabella Gaze did the rest.

The lone bright spots in India’s innings was a 50-plus alliance – a 61 between Rodrigues and Hasabnis for the fifth wicket.

Skipper Smriti Mandhana was dismissed in the third over itself, giving a simple catch to Georgia Plimmer off Jess as Indian did not get the desired early momentum to their innings.

Subsequently, they struggled for it the rest of the innings.